What Would've Happened - A Very Bad Draft.

So I realize that no one was happy with the Clara thing that happened. But to show you that "people" were, in fact, vouching for survival and some kind of demented happiness, here's the second or third try that got written up - something that has nothing to do with the story anymore, so Don't Even Go There.

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I could sit here and watch him for hours. Chest rising and falling, so calmly, only every now and then breaking into a cold sweat and, ranging on how bad his dreams were, would scream, cry, whisper, or sob out words with no sense.

His pain filled me, but when I would sit there and choke, almost physically go blind, it made me feel like maybe I was taking some of it - if even the tiniest uncountable fraction - from him.

Numerous times, Jasper had been called in when he wasn't busy with Alice or other business that he was trying to settle into, just so I could get some sleep, but that was before the fall-out, and before I was on my own. The only person who remotely tries to help is Carlisle, but we're on some tough speaking terms right now. I think the only reason I'm around him is that he's around Zach, and even then, we both tense up and I have to fight the slight tug of emotional pain he's feeling.

It started a couple of days back, and I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but every single one of them has started something with me in these past few days.

Alright, maybe I mean it.

Sunday morning, Carlisle came in during chapel hours - something I was firmly against going to, on behalf of the whole 'dead-vampire-who-almost-killed-her-fiance' thing. He checked Zach's vitals and gave me a summarized update of what was going on. Compared to the other weeks that I'd been sitting here, nothing was different except the ferocity of his nightmares and the longer periods of lucidity he was experiencing, unfortunately, all under doctors watch, so I couldn't talk or go near him...

"No, where is she?! Where's Clara?"

God, it killed sometimes...

"KEEP THEM AWAY! YOU HAVE TO KEEP THEM AW-!"

And other times, it just felt like I was stabbed over and over.

"Clara, we need to talk." Carlisle said.

I glanced up at him worriedly.

"There's no problem with Zach," he said calmly, answering the unspoken question. "I just need to talk about you for a few minutes."

He adusted his pants legs and sat in the chair across from me as I moved my feet out of it. "You've been in this room for almost three months," he said carefully. "You've been waiting this thing out, and don't get me wrong, that's extremely commendable."

I just watched him. Something was bugging him, and he didn't want to say it.

"But Clara, what if he's messed up after this? What if he never wakes up? What if it's years and years before he even bothers to open his eyes for even half a day?"

"Years and years are nothing." I said, my voice dry.

"No, they're not." He frowned and took off the spectacles resting on the edge of his nose, looking down at the floor. "And I refuse to believe that there aren't people out there that are completely smitten with you and how you..."

"I can't even go back to school, Carlisle," I said angrily. "There's not a single person that I can think of who would like to even be around me right now."

Carlisle sighed, and there was a slight tapping at the door. Both of us looked up to see Edward peering in, cautious.

"Can I have a word?" he asked me, Carlisle practically jumping to his own feet.

I remembered Bella's words: "The doctor was in on it..." They didn't escape my memory, and I knew it was no coincidence Edward had stepped in. He settled down as Carlisle left, although across the room, on the other side of Zach.

"How is he?" he wondered aloud, his tawny eyes running over the monitors.

"He's better. Always better."

Edward stared at me, his eyes shockingly brutal, and I couldn't meet his glance.

"Are you still wearing his ring?" he asked finally, breaking the silence.

I swallowed, and then narrowed my eyes in his direction. "You have eyes, don't you?"

"Yes, I guess I do." he murmered.

I knew he hadn't been asking me about the ring in particular - but why I wasn't wearing it. It was lying on the uppermost drawer of the hospital chest that was at the back of Zach's room, wrapped up in tissue paper. It hadn't felt right wearing it without him to claim ownership to it.

I was becoming a prominent member in the 'hate life' society.

"Carlisle talked to me about Zach."

My heart sank. He was going to bring up the small fact disclosed to me only the week before that had made me take off the ring and be so careful around Zach.

"Oh?"

"Yes." Edward paused. "He told me that Zach may not be the same after this incident, and that he may not..." he hesitated.

"Not want me." I said blandly.

"Right... Are you okay, Clara?"

I groaned. "Use your eyes, Ed. I'm not exactly diving into a pool of unrequitted happiness right now. If you're talking about with Zach - about rethinking my promise - I'm fine."

"Mm." he replied, and we sat there for a few more minutes.

And then, "I have someone that I'd like you to meet, Clara, if you'll give him a chance."

There was a chilling silence and my eyes shot over at him, appalled.

"He's a great guy, and you need to get out a little, at lea..."

"I'm not dating."

"Clara..."

"What happened," I started, my voice raising of it's own accord, "to understanding and patience and all those things you FED to me about how reasonable I was acting? What happened to waiting with me, sitting with me, praying and hoping and talking about him?"

He frowned. "There's absolutely NO reason to get defensive abou..."

"THERE DAMNED WELL IS A REASON TO GET DEFENSIVE."

Edward stood up and threw back his chair against the wall, the corner of a plastic edge embedding into the cold white walls, his face deforming into a mask of rage brought on by impatience and stress, most of which I had been causing lately.

"The ENTIRE family knows you're HURTING, CLARA! It's about time you take some ADVICE instead of being IGNORANT!"

I gawked at him. "You got the family involved?!"

He crossed his arms stonily. "You wouldn't listen any other way."

I said a word that I don't even want to write that I said and fought the urge to kick someone.

"WHAT ELSE WERE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?!" he exclaimed, furious.

"Back the hell off? Pull your head out of your ASS?"

"Oh, very mature, Clara." He said mockingly. "I see we're back to the realistic options in this situation."

I screamed angrily and threw up my hands before I was gone, off in the middle of LaPush, shaking and crying, cussing and screaming.

Eventually, Dhart came over and draped an arm over me, both of us pulled down into the very edge of the shoreline.

"Dammit," I said sadly.

He sighed. "Yeah. I know."

"He wasn't being harsh." A cool voice said from back behind us, on the hill. We both turned around.

Jasper.

"I don't want to talk to you." I said calmly, knowing he would hear me. He just laughed and shook his head. "No," I said pointedly, "I mean it."

"Clara, come on..." He sounded confused. "It was just something that the family had wanted for you, since Zach's not going to be..." He faded off and sent cooling blasts of erie calmness washing over me, causing even more irritation, before he turned slightly and headed off with a purpose.

"Nonononono... Oh, no..."

Dhart looked at me worriedly. "Excuse me?"

"He knows something I don't." I whispered, hurting. "Oh, my God."

We were back at the hospital, looking at the building in five minutes.

"They're in there," I warned him. "The entire..."

"Family?" He filled in. I nodded bitterly, and he just shrugged. "I'm here, Clara. You're facin' up for Zach, and I'm not going to make you do it alone."

I smiled... Well, as much of a smile as would come. Even his friends were perfect.

"Thanks."

He nodded, and we took our time getting in. Steps slower than a normal human would take took us up stairs instead of the elevator, and through the six hallways (four lefts, two rights) it was to Zach's room.

I took a breath and opened the door.

And there they were.

All eyes were fixed on me, some of them with fury, some with compassion, others with tired indifference.

"I'm not going." Blatantly, I stated that fact. I wasn't going anywhere.

"It's just a date," Rosalie said, put off.

"I'm engaged to someone who's not dead. Whether I choose to show that or not is my choice, too, so don't you dare bring up the ring."

Carlisle cleared his throat, Esme patting his knee.

"We recieved some bad news this morning, sweetheart." he looked around, and for once, all eyes were on him. "Um... Zachary's uncle, Falton Stewart, knows about the whole wolf thing, and also specializes in comatose patients..."

"Zach's going to New York." Emmett said, looking pitiful.

Edward shot him a look, but Carlisle kept looking at me.

"I don't understand." I said carefully.

"His uncle has reserved a private, no-visitors room in the highest possible care anyone in the nation can offer, and to take advantage of this, Zach must be air-lifted to Albany."

"I'm going, too."

He swallowed.

"Oh, my God. Why am I not allowed to?"

"It's a private room, honey, and his uncle hates our kind. Most of the time, Zach's going to be in therapy sessions or-"

"JESUS!" someone exclaimed - a voice, hurting.

A sudden pain ripped through me and I was instantly by his side.

Zach's eyes were closed, tears streaking down his face, his hands clenched into fists by his temples. "Please, oh my God, please make it stop..."

"Ssshhh..." I said, whimpering. "Shhh. It will be okay, it will go away soon, I promise.

A swarm of Cullens, Hales, and Dhart all around him.

"CLARA!" he suddenly exclaimed, and his eyes peeled open. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

He looked straight at me - straight into what felt like a million years of knowing me, and said, "Where is she?!"

"Who?" I asked, confused, on the verge of laughing.

"Clara! I need her! I need CLARA!"

I let go of his hand and choked.

I fell to my knees on the floor and everything inside me scrunched up and screamed. I was bawling, uncontrollably, while Zach kept hollering for someone to get Clara; to get his fiancee.

I think I gagged twice. Maybe three times. Only Emmett would know. He's the one that picked me up and carried me out into the hallway. He sat there and held me close and talked to me about nothing that I could comprehend, and looked like he was going to cry too.

"He doesn't know!" I remember crying.

"He will, Clare... He's got to know."

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Obviously, now, it makes no sense. I kind of feel for it anyway, and I know it probably would've been more humane, but it's just kind of 'outta there' Clara-wise.

OH, fanfictiondrama.